Black Sand
by imaginist
Summary: She was a beautiful and exotic warrior belonging to no nation. He was a powerful and charming Kazekage who fights alongside her with vigour and loves her with passion. A mesmeric romance in the midst of a twisted war. GaaraXOC
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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The remnants of the beautiful and grand Shin Forest stood like dead stones in the midst of a large clearing. Only at this clearing did she confirm her worst fears, a shocking realization that she dreaded. The moonlight revealed her team, yards behind her and gaining. They were bent on killing her. Her friend and companion, a dark-breed leopard, moved with her near the forest grounds.

She thought fast. If only there was somebody who knew of her true innocence…Konoha…the fifth hokage. With new hope, the young woman moved faster in the direction of the fire country. Her pursuers fell behind, sensing the danger of the fire country.

Hatake Kakashi spotted somebody on the other side of Konoha gates approaching. As they neared, he saw it was a mysterious woman with a leopard by her side. She was stopped by the Konoha gate guards. Kakashi watched with curiosity.

She opened her mouth to speak. "I'm need to–"

"What is your name?" Barked the older guard. She didn't answer.

"I'm asking, what is your name, woman!" Shouted the guard.

She reached her hand into her cloak and pulled out a yellow scroll. Kakashi drew nearer. The guards took the scroll and opened it. Kakashi appeared beside them.

"Kakashi-san! Take a look at this! That rude woman there refused to give us her name and gave us this instead." The guard pointed his finger at the woman rather accusingly. Kakahi took the scroll. To his surprise it was an official pass of Tsunade's. He looked up at the woman.

Closer, she was actually a lot younger than he thought. Eighteen, nineteen, around Naruto's and Sakura's age. The girl said, "You must be Kakashi." He was taken aback. "My name is Tsuna."

-

-

Tsuna was a mystery for everyone in the Hokage's office. She was a raw beauty with her long black hair and her intense green eyes. Taking off her black cloak she revealed a lean body fashioned in intriguing attire. She seemed to be wearing some sort of traditional kimono on her upper body, tucked into a tight piece of torso armor. Her black pants were tucked into black boots with a heel the length of a finger.

As she was sitting impatiently waiting for Tsunade to end an important meeting, her hand stroked her leopard as he lay leisurely on the sofa.

Suddenly, the meeting door opened and out came the Hokage. Tsunade stopped in her tracks when she saw Tsuna. Her emotions of relief, worry, and anger all came at once. She was speechless for a second, before closing in the strides between them and sending a bone-shattering fist in the direction of her visitor. Inches before delivering the blow, the fist changed direction and Tsunade's stronger hand came from below.

Tsuna caught the stronger fist, and without a second to waste, twisted it around Tsunade's back and anchoring the other arm as well. For a minute the office was silent with shock, until both women let go and broke into a warm embrace. Tears welled up in Tsunade's eyes as she whispered, "It's you. And you still remember the technique I taught you." Tsuna's tears rolled down her cheeks as she nodded. Tsunade smiled. "You're a big girl now." She noticed the black leopard and bent down. "Why, isn't this handsome Yusuke?" Tsunade looked up and said, "You've both grown. I've gotten old!" Then she laughed heartily. She turned and yelled, "Kakashi! Get over here!"

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask. "I believe we've already met a year ago. Say, Tsuna, you've grown taller. I didn't even recognize you at first."

She chuckled and then became serious. "Tsunade...the mission...they..."

Tsunade spoke up. "I've heard, Tsuna. But as long as there's me and the Kazekage, there will be no betrayal. I'll be assigning a few trusted Jounin to join us. The war is long before over."

-

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There was a war. It was not a nation's war, but an underground war. A new terror organization arose, called the Runesansu, which meant rebirth. Powerful rogue shinobi, including members of the Akatsuki, have joined forces. They kill mercilessly and their name quickly spread terror to villages. A handful of equally powerful shinobi from Konoha and Wind Nation's Suna have joined together to fight the Runesansu.

A year ago Tsuna was assigned to observe the Runesansu along with a group of skilled ANBU. For about a year they stayed on the Runesansu's track until her team betrayed her at a chance of joining the Runesansu. Tsuna had managed to escape before she entered the grasps of the Runesansu.

She knew she had to get stronger. It had been a while since she had some proper training. Tsuna decided to consult Tsunade about that, but it'll have to wait until after the meeting. There the new members in the mission will be introduced, and the next step in the plan will be revealed. She sighed and entered the grand meeting office.

It was filled with people. "Ah, Tsuna" Tsunade said. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce Nakini Tsuna, fighter of Hayashi Warrior clan. As I have briefly touched on earlier, she was the leader of the Runesansu observation mission." She paused, taking a look at the new members. "I assume you will all be acquainted well, as the new Jounin shinobi joining us and Tsuna share the same age. Let me introduce your other team members Kakashi sensei, Anko sensei, and Gai sensei." Each of them nodded in acknowledgement.

Tsunade said to the new members, "You must understand the importance and the crisis of this mission as I've explained to you earlier. You should be honored as the few who have been selected for a mission of this rank. Everybody, I'd like to introduce Hyuuga Neji who recently became ANBU leader, Nara Shikamaru as solver of all puzzles, Hyuuga Hinata with high skill in modified genjutsu, Haruno Sakura as my apprentice, Rock Lee as master of taijutsu, and Kyuubi-holder Uzimaki Naruto."

"Hey," piped Naruto. "Why is my name last? I'd also like to say that one day I shall be hok –"

Sakura kicked his leg.

Tsunade continued. "Well then, I'll explain our next mission. We'll be traveling to the hidden village of the Sand to meet with our other members in Suna. The Kazekage and his Jounin are going to train with us. Tomorrow morning five am sharp at the front gate. Dismissed."

The young Jounin approached Tsuna.

Naruto extended his hand, and so did the others.

"How come we've never seen you around before?" asked Lee.

"I don't live in Konoha."

"Oh, then what village were you from?"

"I don't belong to any village. I'm part of a warrior clan."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "So you're a rogue ninja?"

Tsuna blinked. "I'm sorry, what was your name?"

"Haruno Sakura."

"Would you mind if called you Sakura?"

"Not at all."

"Alright then, Sakura, I heard from Tsunade you are very intelligent. Am I correct?" There was a menacing tone in her voice.

"Maybe so, but you aren't answering my question.", said Sakura, equally challenging back.

"My answer is that you have me confused. Certainly somebody with common knowledge would know that a rogue is an outcast shinobi on the run from officials. I am a fighter in a warrior clan. I really don't understand why someone as intelligent as you can forget what a rogue ninja is."

Sakura's cheeks flushed redder than her hair and her deep emerald eyes glared. She was welcomed with a pert smile and cool, pale green eyes.

Shikamaru let out a low whistle, a smile played on Hinata's lips, Naruto and Lee was stunned aghast and even Neji couldn't hold back a slight smile. These days Sakura had been a bitch to everybody because a week ago Tsunade and publicly announced that Sakura was becoming nearly as good as the Hokage herself. It was a pleasure to watch a speechless snob.

At this moment Tsunade entered. "Ah, good. All of you are here. I just wanted to remind you that as we travel on our trip tomorrow, we will be taking short breaks to spar and briefly train. There'll be even more training in Suna, so you'd better be prepared. However, this time your sparring will be different. You will all spar each other so you will each have six opponents. Understood?"

"Yes." Answered everybody.

Tsunade looked into the group of young, skilled fighters. "Be prepared. Because right now, we're fighting a dark war. And there's a fine line between winning and losing."

-

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"All set! We're on our way!"

The heavy gates heaved open and the group moved out. It was an excitement for many of the young Jounin, as they rarely leave the village. But for Tsuna, it was dreadful. Over a year of difficult observation, she witnessed the strengths of Runesansu. Their greatest weapon was infiltration.

They were knowledgeable, their power feeding on naivety. If they were being followed…or spied in Suna…or one of them is a traitor…she didn't even want to go there. The only thing she could do, Tsuna thought to herself, was to stay alert and keep a tab on everyone.

With Yusuke exploring ahead and out of the forest path, Tsuna soon fell in step with Neji, who was walking alone up ahead.

"Morning. Call me Tsuna." She said briskly.

"Hyuuga Neji."

"How's being ANBU leader?"

He smirked. "You would know, wouldn't you?"

"I can tell you that I didn't like it."

"Oh. How so?"

"There was a lot of stress. Everyone expected you to take care of fellow ANBU."

Neji nodded.

" And a lot of the time what happens is that some ANBU can be foolish, which makes the leader the fool. Wasn't exactly what I wanted to be."

"You're right," Neji said thoughtfully. "But they never work as a team."

Tsuna found in Neji something that she could trust. "Neji, when there's no team, there's no trust."

He turned his milky eyes onto her hers. For a moment they both understood what she had meant. Her ANBU team had betrayed her.

Tsuna looked up at the sky. "I was a bad leader. I need you to help me with this team, including the sand village members. I'm already trusting you."

-

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The first training session of the trip turned out disastrously. The skill of a Jounin fighting six other Jounin simply did not work out. Instead, Tsunade assigned training partners. Tsuna was paired with Anko. She found it a pleasure.

Anko had a dark humour and a knack for melodrama. Not bad for someone coming from Orochimaru's, thought Tsuna. Anko often hollered at Kakashi and took part in arguments between him and Gai for the fun of it.

As they sparred, Anko fought hard to keep up with her oppenent, which concerned. Tsuna. Runesansu members are strong, some stronger than herself. As a Jounin, Anko's skill level was high, but she needed to be stronger. If the other Jounin were like Anko...well...

Tsuna's worry was noticed by Shikamaru. Walking the sand dunes of the Wind Country, he decided to ask her.

"Something bothering you?", he said, interrupting her thoughts.

Tsuna smiled. "How do you know?"

"I'm not blind."

"So you're saying the others are blind?" She chuckled. "Give me a break, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru threw his hands in the air and laughed along. "Fine. Say what you want. But I'm curious. What are you worried about?"

"_What am I worried about_? Don't you worry? If we can win this war, if we can get through this –I mean there's a lot to worry! What if we're not strong enough? We need more power…but the more people, the bigger chance of leaking secrecy. And there's spies, traitors…" Her voice faded as she looked away.

"I thought you said if there was no trust there was no team."

She looked at him oddly. "You heard my conversation with Neji."

"Couldn't help but call you a hypocrite. You're telling us to trust each other, but you're not trusting us. Do you agree?"

"But if we don't stay alert there could be betrayal. What if –"

He cut her off. "No 'what ifs'. The Hokage and the Kazekage would only select people they trust for this mission." Shikamaru paused, wondering if he should say what he wanted to tell her. He decided he would.

"Tsuna, the reason your ANBU team fell apart was because nobody trusted each other. That was the reason I turned down a promotion to ANBU. This level of shinobi is trained and performed in solitude and independency. If we're going to discuss trust, then I suggest we talk about what's real."

There was a long silence before neither spoke. Tsuna spoke first. "You know, Shikamaru, you're quite remarkable."

He grimly laughed. "Ever heard of plain thinking?"

"I have a plan. Your thinking and my year's worth of Runesansu observations can lead us to the next step. What do you say? "

Shikamaru was very interested. "Not bad figuring that out. How are we going make this work?"

"I'll tell you all I've seen, you find the patterns. Sound good to you?"

"Perfect. We'll tell Tsunade when we arrive in Suna. Now…your observations?"

-

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The sunset on the golden dunes outside the village of Suna created a perfect setting for the hazy shadows of their welcomers. At the front stood the young Kazekage, his most trusted siblings at his sides, and a few other Jounin at the back. There were wagons ready to load luggage.

When the arrivers were at a near enough distance to talk, a fleet of sand rose high from the ground and entwined together to make an arch that the visitors passed through. Behind the Kazekage rose a high wall of sand. Magically, a diagram appeared etched into the sand. It was the symbol of the hidden sand village.

Tsuna was amazed, even more so when she saw that the tall and handsome red-haired young man was controlling the sand. _The __Kazekage. Subaku no __Gaara. _She's heard of the young ruler of Suna and of his past, but never has she seen him up close. Even Tsunade had to admit that the cold boy she saw at the Chunnin exams seven years ago had grown into a great ruler that welcomed them warmly.

The Hokage was the first to speak. She bowed her head slightly. "Kazekage-sama."

Gaara did the same. "Hokage-sama. Welcome to Suna."

Tsunade smiled. "Your orders, sir?"

"Hold on tight."

The leaf shinobi stayed puzzled until the ground below them shook and a massive mountain of sand moved at a breakneck speed carrying them around the outside of the high walls. Their bags were loaded into wagons and rolled into the village. When the sand mound finally stopped, the height depleted and soon the passengers were ground level. In front of them stood a small back gate to the village and standing there was Kankuro.

He chuckled. "Liked the ride?"

Anko laughed along. "Aren't you Kankuro? The one with the puppet?"

"That's me, all right."

The back gate let to the courtyard of the Kazekage's office. "We'll meet Gaara in his office along with the other members you are to meet. After that we'll get you all settled comfortably for the night. Your belongings are safely in your rooms." Before they reached the office, Kankuro turned around and stopped the group. He looked at everybody's familiar faces. "For those of you who forgot my name, I'm Subaku no Kankuro, Gaara's brother. By the way folks, he likes it when he's called Gaara –he doesn't want to seem old". Kankuro winked and opened the office door.

Inside, there was a special seat for both kages and a seat for each of the members. Other then Gaara, Temari and Kankuro, there were only three other sand shinobi. Leaf and Sand shinobi totaled together to seventeen people. Gaara spoke first.

"We'll start off with a brief introduction. Throughout your two months training in Suna, we'll all need to be acquainted with each other in order to work as a team. We are a small but strong group. We can't afford to fall apart. My name is Subaku No Gaara, Kazekage of Suna. Please call me Gaara."

"I am Tsunade, Hokage of leaf village"

"Subaku no Temari"

"Subaku no Kankuro"

"I am Baki, former sensei of the Subaku siblings."

"Zazura Omishi, medical nin." The man looked around middle-aged with kind brown eyes behind thick, large glasses. He had wrinkles that folded every time he smiled and hair neatly combed back.

"Natsumi Kana, medical nin", said an unusually pale girl near the age of the young Jounin.

Tsunade motioned for Kakashi to start off introductions of leaf shinobi.

Gaara held his hand to interrupt. "Please, Tsunade-sama, let me have the honor to introduce my new teammates. Kakashi Sensei." He gave a nod.

"Anko Sensei, Gai Sensei, Hyuuga Neji, Hyuuga Hinata. Rock Lee. Fully healed, Lee?" Lee was taken by surprise at Gaara's change of personality even though he knew of the Shukaku extraction, but was glad. "Y-yes, Gaara." Then he added, "Rematch?"

Humorously, Gaara replied, "Absolutely." Naruto was smiling. "Uzimaki Naruto. You were the one who taught me a big lesson." Naruto's heart warmed and he beamed. "Gaara…good to see you now"

"Nara Shikamaru", Temari spoke up with a smirk. Shikamaru managed a weak smile and a sigh.

Gaara continued. "Haruno Sakura…and…" His brow crinkled. "Nakini Tsuna?"

Tsuna was delighted he had somehow heard of her. "Correct", she answered with a charming smile. Gaara grinned. "You led the ANBU observation mission a year ago."

Her eyes twinkled and enticed him. "Correct again, Kazekage"

Gaara's interest sparked.

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Orochimaru's slithering voice echoed off the dark corridors of the underground Sound Nation. A long way west from the Wind country was the massive underground labyrinth of tunnels and dungeons. Sasuke's footsteps grew louder as they stopped in front of Orochimaru's lair. He entered.

"Orochimaru, I saw Itachi with the Runesansu." His voice was bitter. "You said I would be ready when I'm nineteen. And that's only months away."

The snake sannin waved his hand. "Calm down, Sasuke-kun. You'll have the chance...especially with the war looming ahead."

Kabuto sneered. "Those foolish shinobi think they can withstand, or even defeat Runesansu."

"Don't underestimate, Kabuto…I did so at the chunnin exams and it cost me. This chaotic feud can be of advantage to us…we'll be joining it."

"Which side will we take, Orochimaru-sama?"

"Take sides? No, no. The Sound is no little army. We're a side all to our own."

Kabuto was delighted. Unable to hold his excitement, he over-eagerly asked, "Orochimaru-sama, what are my orders?"

"Watch the Leaf and Sand nations, then report back. Don't reveal our plans."

"Understood." Kabuto left immediately. He was already looking forward to an encounter with Anko.

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	2. Chapter 2

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BANG

BANG

BANG

The force of rock on rock were deafening, but neither Shinobi even noticed. Sakura chose the spot, preferring somewhere in the dunes of Suna that were less sandy. Eventually she and Tsuna found a valley littered with huge rocks and a small forest of sparse trees to the west.

Sakura was growing increasingly frustrated with the sluggish movements of her attacks. It seemed as though Tsuna knew exactly what she was going to do next. In frustration, Sakura was about to summon a difficult ninjutsu when there was a distraction in the air only the ears of a skilled ninja can pick up.

"What's wrong?" Called Tsuna, half a yard away.

Sakura didn't answer. Instead, she turned her head in the direction of the cluster of trees. For a split second before her previous attack, she thought she had heard a woman's voice…a gasp or a cry that was suddenly cut off. It was gone as fast as it came but Sakura was sure she felt it.

As Tsuna made her way over, Sakura told her what she heard. Tsuna frowned.

Sakura voiced what was unsaid. "Nobody but the Shinobi appointed by the Kage can enter these training grounds."

"Do you remember if anybody has continued searching for grounds further than us?" Tsuna paused. " I thought we moved the furthermost."

Sakura racked her brain. "I think…when you attacked with that mirror ninjutsu I caught a glimpse of Anko and the medic Kana. That was a mile away and I was too distracted to notice what direction they heading in."

Tsuna was already moving towards the forest. "Come on," She called over her shoulder, "Let's take a look"

They briefly passed through the small forest and came out into tundra grounds.

"Tsuna…" Sakura said cautiously, and the other woman followed Sakura's gaze to see a lone Anko swaying behind a tall shrub.

As they approached, Anko had lowered herself on the dirt ground and was breathing deeply. She raised her limp arm in the direction of the setting sun. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Alarmed, Tsuna asked, "Where's Kana?"

Anko seemed to be choking on her own spit. She was in shock. Sakura quickly rushed to her aid.

"Anko, where is Kana?" Tsuna's words came out more harshly than she intended.

A strained voice forced itself out of Anko's mouth. "She…she…after Oro…Orochimaru." Again she made an attempt to point the direction.

Tsuna was already off.

-

-

Kabuto found the situation interesting; the Shinobi fighting him shared his techniques. She was most likely a medical nin, thought Kabuto, as he pulled trick after trick up his sleeve. Finally, her defense slipped, opening a strong genjutsu attack on her.

Kana fell back skidding to the hard ground, unable to feel anything but the rapid drain of her chakra. The shadow of her opponent blocked the last of the light. In desperation she tried to heal herself but Kabuto's hand reached down and stopped her.

"Pathetic…you'll die faster," He said to her, "I'm not cruel, especially to those who study medical practices. Before the last of your life drains away, however, I'll let you into a small secret…"

Kana's eyes grew large. The enemy stood up, gave one last crude smile, and was off.

When Tsuna arrived, Kana was dead. Blood from her left index finger left a message: a single ragged music note and _Kousen. _War.

-

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That night there was a meeting held.

"Over the past two weeks of training, there has been improvement, but not enough", Announced Tsunade, her expression grave.

"On top of that, we have decided to advance on our new enemy. We have sufficient information on the Runesansu, but we are completely blind to the Sound. We need precious information on their army. The arranged Sound Village observation team will include the Kazekage, Neji, Shikamaru, Temari, and will be led by Tsuna."

Tsuna didn't know what to say. She turned to the Kazekage for confirmation, and he nodded. _Leader…_

Tsunade continued. "You are to leave for the Hidden Sound Village tomorrow morning." Tsunade glanced at Tsuna.

"I believe you still have your map?"

"Oh. Oh, yes. Right here." Hastily she reached for a hidden latch in her boot, and from the heel slid a thin, folded yellow paper. She handed to Tsunade. Neji, who sat in the seat beside hers, was gazing with intensity at Tsuna's foot.

Noticing him, Tsuna grinned and put a finger to her lips. "Shh. Don't tell", she whispered to Neji humorously. Embarrassed, he straightened and cleared his throat.

The Hokage unfolded the map and gave the Kazekage a look. Gaara frowned.

"So this is it…how did you get this?"

"Oh, that…I drew it. On the observation mission last year I found one of their entrances and I just noted it down."

"Did your ANBU team know about this?"

Tsuna hesitated. "Yes, but I'm the one with the map and I don't reckon they'd recognize the underground route."

"Underground route? How exactly did you find their entrance?" Gaara was eyeing her skeptically, but with a great deal of curiosity.

"I had to solve a puzzle." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, but Gaara waited for more. So Tsuna continued. She told them about a series of puzzles Orochimaru sets to ensure that only sound shinobi may enter. Three Altars of Sound led to a torch-lit trail slowly descending underground.

Gaara folded the map slowly and thoughtfully. Without a word, he reached across the table and placed it in front of Tsuna.

-

-

The striking red hair belonging to the Kazekage never ceased to catch her attention. It was slightly tousled, perfect to match his sea-foam eyes…

Tsuna covered their distance in no time, his features still on her mind when he _smiled. _What startled her was that she's never seen anybody smile the way Gaara did…the way the corners of his mouth upturned…

"In a morning daze?" His words brought her back to the present.

"I didn't have much sleep last night…" She couldn't not believe she had allowed herself to get carried off so easily. She glanced around and checked that all teammates were present. She turned to Gaara. "Kazekage, we should be leaving about now –"

"You're the leader…you lead. And please, call me Gaara."

Tsuna cocked her head slightly and held out a hand. "Well, consider it we've just met. I am Nakini Tsuna, mission leader and you are Sukabu no Gaara, Kazekage who operates under my order."

Gaara laughed. "Most truthfully," he added.

They set off.

_My mind is clear. No headaches._ Gaara was surprised but delighted. Wearing his battle attire, he almost felt the adrenaline of bloodshed, but he suppressed it. He didn't need it now. Instead, he took his time enjoying his light and flexible movements that were restricted with heavy kage robes.

The sun guided their direction throughout the day. Time was short, but when the sun dipped below the horizon the team settled down for the night.

Shikamaru caught their meal, a hare that Temari made into a delicious stew. After the meal, Tsuna sat by the fire, studying the map in deep thought. Gaara joined her.

"Gaara."

He caught by surprise at the serious tone in her voice, but when he looked up, her eyes were concentrated on the map. "Yes?"

"By midday tomorrow, we'll be entering an area with Sound shinobi stationed everywhere. The core of this area is the underground Sound Village."

Gaara leaned over and looked at the map. As he moved, an air of spicy musk followed. It was his closeness, his aura, his ubiquitous Love emblem etched on his forehead. She forgot about the maps until his glance shifted from the parchment to her raw eyes.

She waited for him to say something, but he did not and neither did she. A minute passed, and Tsuna suppressed her desires. She wanted to trace Gaara's sepia tattoo, to touch his chin, run her hands through his hair.

Instead, Tsuna closed her eyes. When she opened them, Gaara was studying the map. The moment was gone, her breath returned, and she remembered the map.

She licked her dry lips and swallowed. "I'll go call Shikamaru and Temari. A decision needs to be made."

All Gaara gave was a curt nod. His mind was elsewhere. As he watched her lithe body rise and pass him, he thought about the conflicting emotions that were turmoil in his mind. She was beautiful, but what drew him in was the intensity and rapture behind her eyes.

He straightened himself as Temari and Shikamaru neared. The four of them sat by the fire, familiarizing themselves with the rough hand-drawn map.

"I suggest we stay as a group of four when we enter the area," said Shikamaru.

"I agree." Was all Temari said.

Tsuna objected. "We'll be must easier to track. Besides," She hesitated. "All four of us caught is worse than just one, two, or even three of us sacrificed. The mission needs to continue and there's a chance-"

"No." It was Gaara. "We're stronger together."

"I reckon we're enough to kill every one of them little sound soldiers", Temari scoffed, "They don't stand a chance."

Tsuna weighed their odds. Temari was half-right. Tsunade sent few, but strong shinobi. Maybe not all their soldiers, but at least many.

"All right. We'll enter and move together. But," She added sharply, "Strain our efforts to avoid disturbing. Sound is their weapon and it travels fast, they have easy contact throughout the village."

The three of them nodded. "And," Added Tsuna, "If a guard sees us or knows we're there, he has to die. It's worth earning precious seconds. If we come out without disruptions, we'll follow the same rules back."

"I'm aiming to get out of Sound Village by nightfall tomorrow" said Gaara quietly.

Shikamru rubbed his temples. "We'd better. The longer we stay there the more danger we're in. Very tiresome."

Tsuna just nodded. "We'll see."

-

-

Gaara could not sleep. He had just seen Tsuna crawl out from her tent and jump to a nearby tree before hopping onto another one. She was out of his sight in less than a second.

He guessed she liked the full moon tonight, or maybe the stars or maybe she was an insomniac like he used to be. Well, he was half-insomniac since he only slept three or four hours ever y night. The dark skin around his eyes were now a dark gray, a color Temari had said to look better with his eyes.

Giving into curiosity, Gaara came out of his tent and headed in the general direction Tsuna had disappeared. After a few minutes moving from tree to tree and getting higher up as he went, he stopped in amazement. The moon tonight filled the sky, a white wholeness untainted by the dark murkiness of the night.

As if by instinct, he realized he wasn't the only one drawn toward the night sky.

A hundred miles away, a young man escaped the dark cuts the underground tunnels have carved in his mind. Instead, he gazed at the moon, his thoughts flipping back to his massacred family, his sadistic older brother, and his revenge.

The very same sadistic older brother saw the moon through a pair of red eyes, standing somewhere unknown. His secrets, his feelings, his thoughts poured out for the moon, and his heart was at calm.

And not two trees away from him was a beautiful creature at its most. Her dainty legs hung over the high branch she was resting on, her bare feet swinging blithely. Her hands were resting on the thick branch, her head upturned to the moon. On her beautiful face were two wide, sparkling green orbs and lips slightly smiling. Her black hair billowed in the slight breeze, matching the light movements of a black silk robe that clung to body.

Gaara's breath came in short, his eyes were hypnotized. A snapping twig under his foot awoke him, but it awoke her as well.

Tsuna's head spun in his direction but Gaara made no attempt of concealing himself.

He didn't know what he said, just that he knew what came out of his mouth he meant. "You're beautiful", he breathed. His voice came out quietly, but there was no mistaking Tsuna heard it.

She continued to stare at him, but he could not place what he saw in her eyes.

Finally, her head turned back to the moon. "The moon is _more_ beautiful", was all she said.

"No". Gaara replied, moving closer her. "You are as one. You bond with the moon."

He had reached her, with her on the same high branch in the sky. Tsuna did not reply, but this time there was a spirit in her eyes.

Her hand reached out tentatively and cupped his cheek, her touch soft yet thrilling. Her fingers moved upward and lightly skimmed his temple.

There was a mischievous gleam in her eyes as she said, "I'm curious," as she traced his love emblem, "I'm really, really curious."

Gaara widened his eyes.

And Tsuna just smiled.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it took so long to update. Enjoy!**

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The skies were red when they finally arrived at a mark Tsuna identified to be the Ichiban Altar of Sound, the first Altar followed by the Niban, and finally, the Saban.

"The Saban Altar leads to one of their underground entrances," Tsuna told them.

Shikamaru asked, "You said something about a puzzle. I wonder how –"

She cut him off sharply. "The puzzle wasn't solved by me, it was one of my ANBU. He was a part of the black ops." Then she hesitated slightly. "He's with them now." Tsuna's tone of voice ended the conversation.

The four-man team crossed the Ichiban Altar. Each person stayed alert, absorbing every sound and movement around them. Since leaving Sand Nation, shrubs and barren trees slowly appeared, transitioning into Sound Nation. Now near the core, the vegetation included tall, weary trees with brown leaves and an assortment of thickets.

Temari, her thoughts focusing on the minuscule wind currents around her, made sure each wind displacement had proved to be wildlife or the movement of her teammates. Yet, she sensed disruption behind her, most probably the movement of a clumsy sound nin.

She fell behind and slowed her speed, not bothering to alert her teammates. When she was of enough distance to the enemy, she turned sharply and angled her body so that she can cut through the air faster.

The enemy was caught by surprise. With one swift heave, her fan was off her back and had already sent a single blade of wind to the sound shinobi. Her aim was straight-on; years of wind displacement training enabled her to fight without her eyes. Her enemy was instantly killed; his torso nearly sliced in half and his face a grotesque mask of pain.

Gaara, Tsuna, and Shikamru had stopped, watching her not too far. _Our first kill. _The body was hastily buried, much to Tsuna's insistence that hiding his corpse would buy them more time.

The Niban Altar came and went. By now the shade of depressing grey hung above the trees, darkening with every second.

As they were moving near the Saban Altar and things seemed uneventful, an enemy seemed to have picked up a sound coming from the team's careful movements and limited dialogue. He jumped out in five meters in front of them, his arms at his sides and his body erect.

Tsuna immediately recognized the ninja from his one visible eye. The rest of his face was wrapped in permanent bandages, and his left arm was missing. Although unseen, Tsuna felt a crooked and primal snarl beneath the crusty mass of bandages, and she had a pretty good guess to why it was.

Without another second to spare, the sound nin pounced with awkward force in her direction, as if he were losing control over his rage. A rage caused by her attack a year ago.

Tsuna sighed. _Some people never learn. _Instantly she extracted out a long, needle-thin object from her sleeve and whipped it like a weight in the enemy's direction.

It struck the man's one eye with such force he toppled backwards, wailing with familiar agony. The corners of Tsuna's mouth turned up a bit. _Perfect aim. Like mother taught me so._

Slowly walking toward the writhing figure in the dirt, she reached down and grasped his bandaged neck, pulling him high above her head. His eyeball was no longer visible, just the needle-like weapon sticking out and a gurgling eruption of scarlet fluid that flowed over Tsuna's fingers.

With the tiniest flick of her wrist and a flash of white knuckles, the man was dead.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Gaara summoned the sand around the dead man's body and pulled Tsuna's weapon out from the mass of blood.

"Careful." Tsuna's voice resonated huskily in the dense forest. "It's poison." She walked over, plucked it from Gaara's sand, and placed her index finger at the tip. Then she pitched it into the hand of the dead sound nin. As soon as skin was pierced, from the tip spread a deep purple, rapidly crawling across his palm under his skin.

In seconds what skin was exposed was a shade of deep, bluish violet.

"Gaara," Tsuna said, startling him from the horror he was seeing. "Please conceal him." She took one step forward, skimmed to a tree, and turned her head to them expectantly.

He gave a curt nod, using his chakra to heave the dirt from under the dead body. He looked up. Shikamaru was ahead, catching up to Tsuna. Temari watched him, knowing her younger brother so well. Over the course of the trip she had been observing the connection between her brother and Tsuna, and Temari knew, deep down, there had to be something going on. She turned away and followed Shikamaru.

With one last sweep, Gaara covered their tracks and moved on.

-

-

Karin smoothed out her kimono, determined to present herself at her best in front of Sasuke. Ever since she had been placed in the four-man group Snake, she had felt that it had better been off as a two-man team: consisting of her and Sasuke only. But what a disappointment.

Taking quiet steps in the tunnels of the underground sound, she instinctively stopped. Flipping the length of her red hair back, she sniffed and looked behind her. Her nose twitched, a habit when she was applying her chakra-sensing ability.

What she had sensed was quite unusual. Four unfamiliar cores of high chakra levels were moving rapidly in her direction, yet they were quite a distance apart. She knew for sure they didn't belong to the Sound ninja. Reluctantly she turned in the opposite direction and veered into Orochimaru's lair.

Kabuto had been passing through, but Orochimaru was nowhere to be seen.

He looked at Karin expectantly.

"There are intruders, they're very close."

Without a word, Kabuto quickly and quietly exited the room.

Karin rolled her eyes after him. "You're welcome, I just thought it was my duty to report," She muttered under her breath.

-

-

Tsuna's heart was beating erratically. She had to tell them now or never. Well hidden in the forestry and out of sight of the guards at the three entrances, the team used a few precious minutes to discuss a plan before they enter the Sound Village.

Shikamaru laid out the map of the underground Sound, one that Tsuna had drawn some time before. "These are the three entrances we're in front of," he began, resting three slim fingers on points of the map. "Two people are going through this one, and the other two each enter a different entryway."

Temari took out four miniature sand timers, each with a metal chain. "When the sand runs out, we need a place to meet."

"And what if one of us doesn't show up?" asked Tsuna quietly. Nobody answered. She replied to the silence, "We search. And if we can't recover them, we move on." There was a certain edge to her voice that she noticed in herself.

The four huddled around the map, their final decision a remote corner in the south west expanse.

"Who's keeping the map?" Gaara asked suddenly.

"I don't need it," said Tsuna. Shikamaru joined her, "Me neither."

"I guess me and Temari will be entering a tunnel together with the map."

There was an uncomfortable silence, one that Tsuna broke with "Let's go."

She knew she should have told them her personal plans. But she also knew that once her teammates knew, her plans wouldn't be carried out and information will not be gained. She knew that Gaara, Tsunade, and everyone fighting with her would hate her for this. But what needed to be done had to be done.

-

-

Shikamaru almost laughed. Almost, but not quite. He was collected and precise in movement, but inside his head all he did was panic. If he continued like this, he would surely lose his life by walking straight into Orochimaru or something equally idiotic.

_Relax. Think. Then outwit._

Finally, with luck, he found something useful. Inside a dark room as a pile of maps, parchment mounted on parchment. Sifting through them, his disappointment grew as he realized they were all general maps of countries.

Then he noticed a sealed scroll from across the room. He checked for traps and performed a protective jutsu.

The moment Shikamaru lifted the bind of the seal, the scroll set itself alight. He was unharmed, but the map that could have contained valuable information was burning in his hands. Searching the corners of his memory, he remembered a restorative jutsu for scrolls he had picked up from Sai back in Konoha.

After he whispered the long incantation, the flames died and the map was perfect condition. Untouched. The contents of the map broke his face into a grin.

-

-

Tsuna could sense a growing headache at the back of her mind. The gloomy corridors, searing wall torches, and the underground air made things worse.

Entering a dimly lit hall, Tsuna saw invaluable blades of all kinds hanging as wall art. Exquisite Katanas, twin-blades, and full-fledged swords each held its own importance. Tsuna spared as many seconds as she could to admire the blades.

Then she came across a large black-sheathed sword with a marble handle. Its length was comparable with her height , with a blade width as wide as the length of her hand. But what she saw was a tiny crescent carved on the sheath. A flash of a blurry image attacked her mind and she let out a small gasp at the shock. Slowly she removed the sword from the wall. It was heavy. Her heart beating, she tightened her grip on the base of the sheath, as her other hand grasped the handle. It detached easily.

Wincing at the sounds but much too curious, she slowly unsheathed the sword. The blade was a silvery-white colour. It was a shade darker than the Byakkugan. Whoever wielded the sword must've been very strong, she thought, as her growing curiosity about the sword and the wielder fascinated her. As she turned the sword, a larger crescent came into view at the base of the blade. She almost dropped the treasure in her hands.

Her memories flooded back like a crashing wave. Her mother, that beautiful woman, came into her mind like never before. She seemed to look older than Tsuna had remembered her to be. Tsuna steadied herself.

_Tsuna's eyes fluttered open to a dark room. It was her room. _

'_It's supposed to be spring,' she thought, cringing at the cold floor. The chills of winter lingered, sweeping around her and giving her shudders. Getting dressed, she ventured out of her room. _

"_Mother…?"_

_It was dark. There was no food on the table. Suddenly, a young woman with blonde hair opened the door to the small house. _

_Tsuna's eyes widened in surprise and she smiled. "Obasan Tsunade!"_

_Tsunade's face was creased with stress. "Tsuna…you're awake?"_

_The child nodded. She looked around. "Where's mother?"_

_Tsunade sighed. "Do you want to see her?"_

_Again the little girl nodded, solemnly. The older woman put a hand on Tsuna's shoulder and caressed her hair lovingly. "She's by the river, Tsuna. She'll want to see you."_

_Tsuna slipped her bare feet into her warm boots and ran out the door. Spotting the river rocks, she saw her mother sitting in resting position, the protruding roots of the old tree she was resting against perfectly fitting the recline of her body. _

_Reira's unlined face broke into a delighted laughter, seeing her little girl Tsuna run towards her with her arms outstretched. _

_From the window Tsunade smiled sadly. Reira's daughter was an exact replica of her..._

"_What are you doing, mother?"_

_Reira tilted her sword. "I'm taking care of Shiruba-binshou, Tsuna." _

_Tsuna nodded. "You must love Shiruba-binshou very much."_

"_It's strong, it's swift, and mother has won many battles wielding it," she added, "but I love a certain little girl more than anything in the world. Even more than Shiruba-binshou."_

_Tsuna traced her fingers over the crescent of the blade. Reira smiled and stroked her back. Suddenly, Tsuna looked up in anxiety. "Mother, will you fight again tonight?"_

_Reira paused. "Yes, Tsuna. I'm sorry."_

_Tsuna lowered her head and pretended to admire the sword, hiding her frown from her mother. _

Her mother had left that night and never returned. Tsuna's heart was bursting with different emotions. She had found her mother's sword –no, it was hers now –in the Sound lair. With excitement, she grasped the sword's handle and turned around.

And there stood Uchiha Sasuke, expressionless and motionless.

-

-

"Nakini Tsuna…a thief?"

Her mind was racing. This shouldn't' have happened. "I'm taking what belongs to me, _Uchiha._"

"It's not yours anymore, woman. It's property of the Sound Village, because Orochimaru rightfully claimed it. He killed your mother for it, I believe?"

"I don't give a shit!" she shouted.

Sasuke gave no response, but his eyes were amused.

Tsuna felt sick. But also alone, angry, and tired. She was tired of being that independent, strong woman. At that moment, she was merely a female in need of comfort. She wanted nothing but Gaara's presence.

"Uchiha…" she began, her voice strained, "I've saved your life once…"

Sasuke just stared.

"Let me go…just this once."

The silence ensued for so long that Tsuna was unsure whether Sauske heard her plea at all. Finally, he slowly turned around and took a few steps. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at her feet. "If I see you again, I won't hesitate at mercy."

_Me neither_, she thought. After he left, she checked the sand timer. There was very little time left. Following the map in her mind, she began to navigate. Now that she was alone, the liquid in her eyes began to flow like a river.

When she first got to the corner, none of her teammates were there. She checked the sand timer. Time was out. Anxious, Tsuna decided to wait a bit more.

Suddenly, from behind her appeared Gaara and Temari. Tsuna spun around, but before she could exhale a breath of relief, her concerns shifted to the minor cuts and wounds on the siblings.

Gaara was alarmed. Tsuna's eyes were a little red and she had obviously been crying. Before he could speak, Shikamaru's body appeared from behind his shadow.

Gaara spoke first. "Sound nin were tailing us –we lost them now." He frowned as Tsuna's tears continued to flow. "What's wrong?"

Tsuna tired her best to dry the tears with the back of her hand. She brought _Shiruba-binshou _out of the shadows and showed it to her teammates. "Shikamaru, Temari, Gaara, listen to me."

All eyes were on her. She continued, whispered, "Orochimaru and the Akatsuki don't know my whereabouts. They don't know I'm allied with the Leaf-Sand unit. And…we need information to fight this war. More information." Tsuna hesitated. "I'm going to stay at Sound Village for a while…I don't know how long…days, weeks…"

The three listeners were confused. Tsuna didn't blame them. Temari shook her head. "We can't risk you, Tsuna. Information is crucial, but this idea of yours isn't going to work."

She tried to reassure them. "I'm safe here. I've been here before." She pushed _Shiruba-binshou_ into Gaara's hands. "Give this to Tsunade when you return. You three have to leave now."

"We can't leave you here." Said Gaara quietly.

Tsuna was growing frustrated. "You don't understand, do you? Wind country needs you. You aren't safe here, but I _know_ I am. Go!" Gaara's eyes bored into hers. She tried a softer tone, "Please. Trust me."

He sighed with fatigue and anxiety. "If anything happens to you…" He gave up and turned around, signaling Temari and Shikamaru to follow him. _Shiruba-binshou _was grasped tightly in his hands. Tsuna watched them exit the underground sound. When she was sure they were safe, she turned around inhaled deeply.

Faint footsteps sounded behind her, but she just closed her eyes and kept walking ahead. The sound shinobi were running toward her, and she was sure the distance between them would be covered in a matter of seconds.

The undeniable truth was that Tsuna knew she wasn't really safe. But then again, she never really was. Sometimes she wondered where she could have ended up if she had chosen different paths. But when came down to reality, she would change nothing.

Suddenly, an immobilizing technique beneath her skull paralyzed her. Strong arms encircled her waist and caught her fall. The last thing she saw was darkness and the last person she thought of was Gaara.

-

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**Curious for the next chapter?**


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